[Pepe Guitarra]

Your comments are welcome. All photos were taken with the Pentax K 28mm f2 wide open :

---

Last edited by Pepe Guitarra; 02-04-2014 at 09:08 AM.

[elbandito]

I have a A 28mm F2 and I need to admit that it's an amazing lens, very sharp with deep blues and great contrast. However, I'm not good with manual focus and I'm thinking about selling it.

Now, I don't have a clue of the value of this lens. I was thinking to sell it for 350€ (around 400$), do you know if the price is correct?

Otherwise, I'll replace it by a FA 31mm or the new Sigma 30mm 1.4, both autofocus.

A few examples of pics taken with this lens:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cvicente1932/12272209874/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cvicente1932/12272319436/in/photostream/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cvicente1932/12271903993/in/photostream/

[Pepe Guitarra]

You can shoot this lens (and most wide angle) hyperfocal length. It comes with the markings, so you only have to align them and presto!. At least for street photography. Interesting, i am selling all my AF stuff to go back to MF. I learned a lot using Leica.

I have a A 28mm F2 and I need to admit that it's an amazing lens, very sharp with deep blues and great contrast. However, I'm not good with manual focus and I'm thinking about selling it.

Now, I don't have a clue of the value of this lens. I was thinking to sell it for 350€ (around 400$), do you know if the price is correct?

Otherwise, I'll replace it by a FA 31mm or the new Sigma 30mm 1.4, both autofocus.

A few examples of pics taken with this lens:

Chateau Hélecine | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Rouge cloître I | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Rouge cloître II | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

[SyncGuy]

You can shoot this lens (and most wide angle) hyperfocal length. It comes with the markings, so you only have to align them and presto!. At least for street photography. Interesting, i am selling all my AF stuff to go back to MF. I learned a lot using Leica.

1 advice, grab the cheapest but functioning Tamron 17-50/2.8 that you can find so that you can use it if you happen to need to cover an event or need AF for those rare moments..

Just like mine, it's 90% in my dry cabinet.. The remaining 10% came useful when i had to "cover" family birthday events or official family gatherings.

[elbandito]

"You can shoot this lens (and most wide angle) hyperfocal length. It comes with the markings, so you only have to align them and presto!. At least for street photography. Interesting, i am selling all my AF stuff to go back to MF. I learned a lot using Leica."

Hyperfocal markings are for FF sensors, markings are not correct for our APS-C. In our case, hyperfocal would be at 5m and not 3m at F8

[mythguy9]

Yep here we go:

SMC Pentax 1:2/28: the poor man's Distagon?

Pentax K 28 f2.0 samples

SMC Pentax 28mm F2 Reviews - K Prime Lenses - Pentax Lens Reviews & Lens Database

Phil.

Nice resource, thanks for the links.

[Pepe Guitarra]

"You can shoot this lens (and most wide angle) hyperfocal length. It comes with the markings, so you only have to align them and presto!. At least for street photography. Interesting, i am selling all my AF stuff to go back to MF. I learned a lot using Leica."

Hyperfocal markings are for FF sensors, markings are not correct for our APS-C. In our case, hyper focal would be at 5m and not 3m at F8

Thanks, no wonder I had to adjust the distance most of the time!!!! Thanks for the info.

[Marathonianbull]

Just a few samples, taken with the Zeiss ZK 28mm lens on a K-3:

[fwcetus]

Just a few samples, taken with the Zeiss ZK 28mm lens on a K-3:

Those images do show that that ZK 28 can do a good job with colors.

[I do have an SMC "K" 28/2, but I have zero experience with the Zeiss lens(es).]

[drypenn]

I'd like to see somebody post a blind test between the K28/2 and the M28/2. Let's just see whether that difference is really discernible in the real world, given the gargantuan price difference. I only have the M28/2. I've been testing it vs the K28/3.5, and my FA31. My M28/2 renders subjectively better than the K28/3.5, and a tiny bit sharper wide open. At 5.6 or 8, it's almost quite impossible to tell the difference, albeit the M28/2 tends to have better contrast, thus looking initially sharper.

The FA31 is marginally sharper than both, and wide open renders a smoother OOF. I can imagine scenarios where the M28/2's coarse OOF may be subjectively better, but given that I've acquired the M28/2 at less than a $100, I can say that the FA31 is definitely not 9 or ten times better. Thus, my curiosity on the "K"

[kaipa]

I'd like to see somebody post a blind test between the K28/2 and the M28/2. Let's just see whether that difference is really discernible in the real world, given the gargantuan price difference.

It is unlikely too many people have both. I had A 28/2 in the past, and compared it to K 30/2.8. The comparison is here: https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/10-pentax-slr-lens-discussion/143495-k-30...side-side.html

I don't have A 28/2 anymore, but have K 28/2 instead. So it is possible to compare it against K 30/2.8 and see if it is better (I am sure it is). Given that A 28/2 and K 30/2.8 were pretty close at f2.8 it may give an answer.

[drypenn]

It is unlikely too many people have both. I had A 28/2 in the past, and compared it to K 30/2.8. The comparison is here: https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/10-pentax-slr-lens-discussion/143495-k-30...side-side.html

I don't have A 28/2 anymore, but have K 28/2 instead. So it is possible to compare it against K 30/2.8 and see if it is better (I am sure it is). Given that A 28/2 and K 30/2.8 were pretty close at f2.8 it may give an answer.

Why, I missed that thread. Thank you.

I find that the M28/2 is a very underrated lens in the sense that it doesn't get much accolade. I have the FA31 too, and in my mind, the unicorn K28/2, is neither far ahead nor far behind the magical 31. And the 31 is not leagues ahead of the M28/2, ergo, the M28/2 may not be all that bad.

I bought a bargain copy of the M28/2. There are white specs inside the barrel. The glass is pristine, save for a very minor abrasion in the front. The body has been obviously used, filter, dented, and I must say that it has been opened. Yet, shooting it around the house, I must say that this is a keeper, right in the alley of K55/1.8, K28/3.5. It produces unique, I daresay 3D like images, with slightly jagged OOF highlights. True, purple fringing abounds, but so is with the 77.

[kaipa]

To say the truth, I've sold my A 28/2 in favor of 30/2.8. The colors, contrast and transitions seemed better with 30/2.8 to my taste, though A 28/2 was sharper. This is a matter of personal preference, though. Having said that M/A 28/2 is the wonderful small prime that deserves the price.

I've made some tests today between FA 31, K 28/2 and K 30/2.8 on close distances. Not ready to share photos yet, but here are the observations.

1. MFD is about 20cm for all 3 lenses, though specs claim 30cm for FA 31 and K 30/2.8, and 25cm for K 28/2. The camera and target were at fixed positions, and all lenses were able to focus at limiter or very-very close it it (few mm to turn max). In fact I am not sure about 20cm now, though I remember measuring it. Seems too low, but it is definitely quite short, shorter than I thought (and yes, I measured the distance to the matrix, not to the lens).

2. Lenses behave quite differently at close focus:
* At 25-30cm FA 31 target size is bigger on the matrix, that it expected, but K 30/2.8 and K 28/2 are exactly the same, i.e. K28/2 = K 30/2.8 < FA31
* At MFD 20cm, K 28/2 target size is bigger!!, i.e. K30/2.8 < K28/2 < FA31. I guess this is because of rear focusing of K28/2, have no other explanations.

I think that at the distances they should be as expected K28/2 < K30/2.8 < FA31, but I was quite surprised by the close focus.

Sharpness wise:
* At f2, K 28/2 is slightly sharper than FA31 at the same aperture. Both show slight CA.
* At f2.8 sharpness is about the same, but K 28/2 is free of CA, while FA31 still have some minor
* K 30/2.8 @f2.8 is sharper than other lenses at f2 but slightly less sharp than at f2.8, has some CA and halo around bright objects

OOF rendering is smoothest with FA31, that is expected. The scene and lighting did not allow to lens to show different characteristics regarding color and highlights rendering.

[fwcetus]

[...] I've made some tests today between FA 31, K 28/2 and K 30/2.8 on close distances. Not ready to share photos yet, but here are the observations. [...]

Very interesting so far, kaipa.

[I might suggest starting a new thread when you have the images ready for posting (since it's no longer about a "Pentax K 28mm f2 or Carl Zeiss Distagon T* ZK 28mm f/2" comparison).]

Thanks for taking the time for such testing.

[Thingo]

The Pentax K28/2 and the 1970’s Zeiss “Hollywood” 28/2 were the same optically back then. Almost 40 years later, who knows with the Zeiss? The current version may have improved lens coatings, just like the newer Pentax lenses. However I would still choose the older K28/2, just for the reason it’s a Pentax classic.

Here's an article that talks about the K 28/2 and the Zeiss "Hollywood" 28/2. Written in July 2013, predating this thread's start.